Select Connect Event Showcases Select Sires Progeny and Programs

Select Connect Event Showcases Select Sires Progeny and Programs

Select Sires Inc. joined NorthStar Cooperative, one of its member cooperatives, to host elite producers from across the Midwest for the 2012 Select Connect Event June 12-14 in Michigan. During the two and a half day event, participants were able to view progeny as well as outstanding results of Select Sires programs, including Select Reproductive Solutions™ (SRS™) and Select Mating Service™ (SMS™). In addition, they visited a herd utilizing the Select Detect™ activity monitoring system as well as herds that are participating in Select’s Program for Fertility Advancement™ (PFA™) research and development arm, Program for Genetic Advancement™ (PGA™) progeny test system and the Aggressive Reproductive Technologies™ (ART™) program.
Passionate about their customers’ success, Select Sires initiated the Select Connect Event not only to showcase accomplished herds that utilize Select Sires’ genetics and programs but to give producers who are interested in bettering their operations a forum to learn and exchange ideas.

The Select Connect Event featured five speakers. David Thorbahn, president and chief executive officer of Select Sires Inc., delivered a presentation entitled “Leading the Industry, Impacting the Future.” Jeff Ziegler, the genomics program manager at Select Sires Inc., discussed StrataGEN™, a new sequential breeding program developed to help breeders control inbreeding in “Genetic Leadership for a Bright Future.” Gary Siporski, dairy development manager at Vita Plus, captivated attendees with an upbeat global dairy outlook. Charlie Will who manages Holstein sire acquisition for Select Sires, invited attendees to “Select the Competitive Advantage,” in which he informed the group about the depth and overall superiority of the Select Sires lineup. Finally, Dr. Ray Nebel, vice president of technical service programs at Select Sires Inc., discussed “Advanced Tools for Optimum Reproductive Efficiency in Progressive Dairies.” Nebel outlined the reproductive services and aids that are available from Select Sires to help producers raise the reproductive efficiency of their herds.

Participants in the 2012 Select Connect Event stopped
for a quick photo at SwissLane Dairy in Alto, Mich.

Select Sires would like to thank the following dairies for graciously opening their doors for the 2012 Select Connect Event: Green Meadows Farms, Elsie, Mich.; Lew-Max Holsteins, Belding, Mich.; SwissLane Dairy, Alto, Mich.; and Michigan State University Dairy Teaching and Research Center , East Lansing, Mich.

Owned and managed by Velmar and Margaret Green and their children, Margie and Craig and Craig’s wife Darcy, Green Meadow Farms is one of the largest dairy operations in Michigan and one of the largest registered Holstein herds in North America. Lew-Max Holsteins is one of Michigan’s top milk producing herds and is owned and operated by the Ken and Aaron Gasper Families. SwissLane Dairy is a fourth generation family farm owned and operated by 32 members of the Oesch family. SwissLane is comprised of two dairy farms and home to 1,800 cows. Visitors had a keen interest in their new state-of-the-art robotic milking system. The Michigan State University Dairy Teaching and Research Center is a herd comprised of approximately 170 registered Holstein cows and 180 replacement females. The dairy herd is maintained for teaching, extension and research purposes. MSU faculty members outlined research projects currently being performed at the center.

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is North America’s largest A.I. organization and is comprised of nine farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying dairy and beef producers with North America’s best genetics at a reasonable price.